Your cancer patient's using CAM: Can you turn a blind eye?
This hypothetical medicolegal case explores the potential pitfalls of alternative treatments
27th September 2019
It’s an issue we’ve all encountered: a patient is telling you they’re opting for a treatment that you believe is of no benefit, or may even be harmful.
Sometimes the issues and risks are clearer than others, but these situations all present a range of similar challenges.
How hard should you try to talk a patient out of such a decision, particularly if you believe your insistence would harm the therapeutic relationship?
Can you support your patient while satisfying your legal and ethical obligations?